NASCAR Confirms There Won’t Be A Chicago Street Race In 2026

NASCAR has announced that it won’t be returning to the streets of Chicago next year. Its three-year contract with the city ended after this year’s race and the parties have not come to a new agreement.

The race held Fourth of July weekend in and around Millennium Park posed logistical challenges for the city and series and lost NASCAR millions of dollars, a hit it was willing to take for the extra exposure the unique event generated.

TV ratings also dropped from 4.6 million in 2023 to 3.9 million in 2024 and 2.1 million this year, but the broadcast switched from NBC to TNT this season.

“Following the success of the first three years, the Chicago Street Race will hit pause in 2026 to afford us the time necessary to work collaboratively with the City of Chicago to explore a new potential date and to develop a plan that further optimizes operational efficiencies, with a goal to return to the streets of Chicago in 2027,” NASCAR said in a social media post.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE AMERICAN CARS AND RACING NEWSLETTER FOR THE LATEST

NASCAR did not say what would replace it on the schedule. Many drivers and fans have been urging it to return to Chicagoland Speedway, where it last raced in 2019. The oval race was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and then NASCAR moved the Cup Series race to Road America in 2021 and 2022 before giving Chicago a shot. Chicagoland has since fallen into some disrepair and updates would be required before it could hold a Cup Series race again, which would likely run into the millions of dollars.

The closest oval track that could host a Cup Series race in short order is the Milwaukee Mile, where the Truck Series recently raced from 2019 to 2024.